Joe Biden in State of Union promises to ‘finish the job’
President Joe Biden exhorted Republicans over and over Tuesday night to work with him to “finish the job” of rebuilding the economy and uniting the nation as he delivered a State of the Union address meant to reassure a country beset by pessimism and fraught political divisions. The backdrop for the annual address was markedly different from the previous two years, with a Republican speaker sitting expressionless behind Biden and GOP lawmakers in the audience preparing to scrutinize both his administration and his policies. But Biden sought to portray a nation dramatically different in positive ways from the one he took charge of two years ago: from a reeling economy to one prosperous with new jobs, from a crippled, pandemic-weary nation to one that has now opened up and a democracy that has survived its biggest test since the Civil War. “The story of America is a story of progress and resilience. Of always moving forward. Of never giving up. A story that is unique among all nations,” Biden said. “We are the only country that has emerged from every crisis stronger than when we entered it. That is what we are doing again.” He added: “We’re not finished yet by any stretch of the imagination.” Biden sought to reassure the nation that his stewardship of the country has delivered results both at home and abroad, as he also set out to prove his fitness for a likely re-election bid. But the challenges for Biden are many: economic uncertainty, a wearying war in Ukraine, growing tensions with China, and more. And signs of the past trauma at the Capitol, most notably the January 6, 2021 insurrection at the Capitol, was unavoidable, with a large fence encircling the complex as lawmakers and those in attendance faced tighter-than-usual security measures. From the start, the partisan divisions were clear. Democrats — including Vice President Kamala Harris — jumped to applause as Biden began his speech. New Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, though he had greeted the president warmly when he entered the chamber, stayed in his seat. Rather than rolling out flashy policy proposals, the president set out to offer a reassuring assessment of the nation’s condition, declaring that two years after the Capitol attack, America’s democracy was “unbowed and unbroken.” “The story of America is a story of progress and resilience,” he said, highlighting record job creation during his tenure as the country has emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic. Biden also pointed to areas of bipartisan progress in his first two years in office, including on states’ vital infrastructure and high-tech manufacturing. And he says, “There is no reason we can’t work together in this new Congress.” “The people sent us a clear message. Fighting for the sake of fighting, power for the sake of power, conflict for the sake of conflict, gets us nowhere,” Biden said. “And that’s always been my vision for the country: to restore the soul of the nation, to rebuild the backbone of America — the middle class — to unite the country.” “We’ve been sent here to finish the job!” The president took to the House rostrum at a time when just a quarter of U.S. adults say things in the country are headed in the right direction, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. About three-quarters say things are on the wrong track. And a majority of Democrats don’t want Biden to seek another term. He sought to confront those sentiments head-on. “You wonder whether a path even exists anymore for you and your children to get ahead without moving away, I get it,” Biden said. “That’s why we’re building an economy where no one is left behind. Jobs are coming back; pride is coming back because of the choices we made in the last two years. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who gained a national profile as Trump’s press secretary, was to deliver the Republican response to Biden’s speech. She was to focus much of her remarks on social issues, including race in business and education and alleged big-tech censorship of conservatives. “While you reap the consequences of their failures, the Biden administration seems more interested in woke fantasies than the hard reality Americans face every day,” she was to say, according to excerpts released by her office. “Most Americans simply want to live their lives in freedom and peace, but we are under attack in a left-wing culture war we didn’t start and never wanted to fight.” With COVID-19 restrictions now lifted, the White House and legislators from both parties invited guests designed to drive home political messages with their presence in the House chamber. The parents of Tyre Nichols, who was severely beaten by police officers in Memphis and later died, are among those seated with first lady Jill Biden. Other Biden guests included the rock star/humanitarian Bono and the 26-year-old who disarmed a gunman in last month’s Monterey Park, California, shooting. Members of the Congressional Black Caucus invited family members of those involved in police incidents as they sought to press for action on police reform in the wake of Nichols’ death. The White House, ahead of the speech, paired police reform with bringing down violence, suggesting that giving police better training tools could lead to less crime nationwide. Biden was shifting his sights after spending his first two years pushing through major bills such as the bipartisan infrastructure package, legislation to promote high-tech manufacturing, and climate measures. With Republicans now in control of the House, he is turning his focus to implementing those massive laws and making sure voters credit him for the improvements. Biden, not known for his oratory, appeared relaxed and confident as he delivered his address. He casually adlibbed remarks, fed off the responses from Democratic lawmakers who frequently stood up with thunderous ovations and playfully engaged with his Republican critics. Addressing Republicans who voted against the big bipartisan infrastructure law, Biden said he’d still ensure their pet projects
China surpasses the United States in the number of ICBM launchers
The Chinese government has been working for several years to modernize its military and increase the size and potency of its nuclear deterrent. According to a recent letter from the Pentagon’s Strategic Command to Congress, China now has surpassed the United States in intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launchers. Republican Armed Services Committee leaders said this “should serve as a wake-up call for the United States.” Congressman Mike Rogers is the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. Rep. Doug Lamborn is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces. U.S. Senator Roger Wicker is the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Sen. Deb Fischer is the Ranking Member of the Senate Subcommittee on Strategic Forces. The congressional leaders released a joint statement Tuesday in response to the news that China has surpassed the United States in the number of land-based fixed and mobile ICBM launchers. The FY22 NDAA requires that U.S. Strategic Command notify Congress when the number of ICBMs, nuclear warheads, or ICBM launchers in China surpasses the United States. Strategic Command gave that official notification to Congress just 12 days ago. “The head of U.S. Strategic Command has informed us that China has surpassed the U.S. in the number of ICBM launchers – this should serve as a wake-up call for the United States,” Rogers and the other congressional leaders wrote. “It is not an understatement to say that the Chinese nuclear modernization program is advancing faster than most believed possible. We have no time to waste in adjusting our nuclear force posture to deter both Russia and China. This will have to mean higher numbers and new capabilities.” In response to a December 5th letter from the congressional leaders, U.S. Air Force General Anthony Cotton wrote that the Chinese have surpassed the number of fixed and mobile ICBM launchers. The United States, however, still has more nuclear warheads and more ICBMs in the active inventory. A classified letter that provided more detail was also attached to this letter. Alabama Today and other media sources do not have access to that classified information. Rogers wrote on Twitter, “China is rapidly approaching parity with the United States. We cannot allow that to happen. The time for us to adjust our force posture and increase capabilities to meet this threat is now.” Global tensions have risen with the Russian invasion of Ukraine and American support for the Ukrainians. There are growing fears that Russia or the United States, or both, could break out of the new START arms control treaty limiting the number of ICBMs, launchers, and warheads the two nations can have. Tensions between China and the U.S. have risen over trade, concerns over human rights in China, and Chinese threats against Taiwan. A top U.S. Air Force general wrote recently that officers should expect a war with China in 2025. The Chinese balloon that intruded into American airspace and was shot down by a U.S. Air Force F22 on Saturday has only further raised tensions. Rogers represents Alabama’s Third Congressional District. Rogers is in his eleventh term in Congress following previous services in the Alabama House of Representatives and on the Calhoun County Commission. Rogers is an attorney. He and his family reside in Saks. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Katie Britt favors work requirements for many federal benefits
On Monday, U.S. Senator Katie Britt spoke with Larry Kudlow in an interview on the Fox Business Channel about the pending debt ceiling crisis. Britt said she favored adding work requirements to many federal benefits as part of a deal on the debt crisis and reducing federal spending. Kudlow asked, “If you can make a deal of some kind over the debt ceiling that would roll back spending, it would seem to me you want to put people back to work, and it would seem to me, putting work requirements back into it. After all, it was Bill Clinton, Democrat, who started this with Newt Gingrich, Republican. What do you think? I mean, am I asking too much even for this conversation?” “Not at all,” Britt answered. “I actually had this very conversation with Congressman Gary Palmer from Alabama, who is the Republican policy chair in the House. We discussed this and talked about the need for work requirements for these benefits. It’s the dignity of a hard day’s work. That’s what this country was founded on. You know you put your head down, you work hard, and, in this nation, you can achieve more than your father before you. Preserving that American Dream, getting us back to business as usual, means getting everybody back to the table and investing in making this country better across the board.” Britt expressed her concern about the national debt and its burden on the next generation. “When you’re looking at that, the debt and the burden that we are saddling that next generation — and the next generation — with is unsettling, and it’s unsustainable,” Britt said. “And it’s not only fiscally irresponsible, to me. It’s morally irresponsible. We have got to find a way to get to a balanced budget, to put in the appropriate spending caps, and to roll back spending. You know, we have to remember that this money is not ours. This is taxpayer money, and it is best served when it is back in their pockets.” Britt said she has signed on to a letter with Senator Mike Lee urging Biden to add work requirements to many federal benefits. Britt also noted that she was proud to have co-sponsored Senator Rick Scott’s Full Faith and Credit Act. The U.S. national debt is over $31.5 trillion a year. Federal spending is over $6 trillion annually, even though federal revenues are only $4.6 trillion. That additional $1.4 trillion in spending is being paid for by borrowing. This deficit spending occurs in a year in which the nation is fully employed, fully recovered from the COVID-19 global pandemic, and no longer at war. Britt is serving her first term in the U.S. Senate following her landslide election in 2022. Britt is newly appointed to the Senate Appropriations Committee, which is tasked with writing federal budgets. Britt has said that she will prioritize defense, protecting Social Security benefits, and veterans benefits, in negotiations on curbing spending as part of a deal with the Biden administration on reducing federal spending. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Joe Biden set to give his State of the Union address tonight
President Joe Biden will deliver his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress tonight, where he will lay out his agenda for the upcoming year. President Biden’s speech will begin at 8:00 p.m. CST and will be streamed online and on multiple major networks on TV and radio. Biden and his top aides spent the weekend in Camp David preparing the address to Congress and the nation. The State of the Union address comes following a stellar January jobs report on Friday, growing tensions with China following the shooting down of a Chinese balloon in American air space, and amidst a war between Russia and Ukraine where the Ukrainians are being supported by the U.S. and our western allies. While the Democrats picked up seats in the Senate during last November’s midterms, the Republicans now control the U.S. House of Representatives, and Republican Kevin McCarthy has replaced Nancy Pelosi as the Speaker of the House. President Biden is faced with a standoff with McCarthy and the Republicans over raising the debt ceiling. Republicans have said they would like to decrease federal spending to limit inflation as a condition for raising the debt ceiling. He has said that he is not willing to negotiate with House Republicans on spending to get the needed debt ceiling increase. The Treasury Department in January implemented “extraordinary measures” to prevent the U.S. from a government default on the debt. The U.S. has until June before the government can’t pay its bills. The U.S. national debt is in excess of $31.5 trillion and growing. President Biden is expected to press Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. The Civil Rights community is pushing the administration hard on policing reform. Biden may also urge Congress to pass a new assault weapons ban. Congresswoman Terri Sewell will be accompanied by survivors of the recent tornado touchdown in Selma. “The Curry’s of Selma will be my special guest at the State of the Union representing the survivors of the Jan 12th tornadoes that ripped through Selma and Dallas Co.,” said Rep. Sewell on social media. “Their beautiful home destroyed! But they were unharmed! God is Good!” Biden has not yet announced his decision on whether or not he will run for a second term as president in the 2024 election. Biden is not expected to make that announcement in his address, but political observers will watch the speech closely, looking for any clues to his intentions. A Republican response will follow President Biden’s address. Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders will present the GOP response to the Biden address. “I am grateful for this opportunity to address the nation and contrast the GOP’s optimistic vision for the future against the failures of President Biden and the Democrats,” Gov. Sanders said. “We are ready to begin a new chapter in the story of America – to be written by a new generation of leaders ready to defend our freedom against the radical left and expand access to quality education, jobs, and opportunity for all.” To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
New women’s clinic coming to Evergreen
Rural Alabamians face increasingly long drives for healthcare. 44% of Alabamians live in rural areas. Many of those rural Alabamians live in counties with no hospital. Even in counties where there are hospitals, there is often a death of specialists. Many Alabamians live in counties with no OB-GYN, and expectant mothers must drive many miles to a neighboring county for prenatal care. Recognizing the need, Monroe County will soon set a new standard for women’s healthcare. USA Health, Franklin Primary Health Center, and Monroe County Hospital have recently agreed to work together to fill this healthcare gap. This new clinic in Evergreen will be the area’s first OB-GYN and women’s health clinic. Not only will this new clinic increase access, but this partnership also enables women to take part in “whole person care,” which integrates physical, mental, and reproductive health for women and their families. Dr. Mimi Munn, M.D., is a professor and chair of obstetrics and gynecology at the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine at the University of South Alabama and a maternal-fetal medicine physician at USA Health. Dr. Munn said that it is vital for all women to maintain good health, no matter their age. “But you can’t maintain good health without adequate access to care. USA Health is a leader in women’s health and is renowned for its integrated specialty care, but we can’t reach every woman in southwest Alabama. This collaboration aims to help address that fragmentation by increasing women’s access to primary care services, with seamless access to both Monroe County Hospital and USA Health’s specialty care when they need it,” Munn stated. Economic developer Dr. Nicole Jones told Alabama Today, “For patients who live in rural areas, distance from home, including the time and money it takes to travel to appointments, is often a barrier to receiving proper medical care. Patients may make it to one appointment but never return for follow-up visits, which can pose health risks. USA Health, Franklin Primary Health Center, and Monroe County Hospital understand the challenges in rural obstetrics and gynecology and have sought to fill in the gap by offering comprehensive health services for women and girls. It is a step in the right direction for ladies who may not be able to travel to Mobile or Montgomery for care. Thank you to all of the organizations and physicians for your compassion and willingness to work in Alabama’s underserved areas.” The new clinic will open in 2023, providing comprehensive healthcare services for adolescents, teens, and women. The three organizations also plan to create a closely integrated program with shared clinical protocols and care coordination. There will be shared clinical leadership between Franklin and USA Health, as USA Health’s high-quality specialists work directly with Franklin’s providers, and high-risk pregnancies are closely monitored by providers at Monroe County Hospital. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Kay Ivey encourages Alabama college students to apply for Governor’s office internships
On Monday, Gov. Kay Ivey announced that the application period is now open for the Governor’s Office summer internship sessions. Ivey encouraged Alabama undergraduate students to apply for the internship program. The program is designed to provide insight to college students who want to learn more about the executive branch of state government. The program offers students a realistic overview of routine activity within a government office. “Experience is key to advancement, and Alabama students should engage in internships to provide real-world practice that will prepare them for their future careers,” Ivey stated. “When I was a student at Auburn, I worked to support the efforts of Governor Lurleen Wallace, who became a true mentor to me, so I am always eager to share similar experiences to our college students,” said Governor Ivey. “No matter what industry you imagine yourself working in, an internship here at the State Capitol will truly be beneficial to all. I encourage all of our college students to seek out any type of internship or learning opportunities to further prepare them for a career and lifetime of success.” The summer internships are divided into two six-week sessions. Summer session one will occur from May 8 to June 16, 2023. The second summer session will occur from June 19 to July 28, 2023. The hours of the internships are from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. John Gilchrist, a former intern during the summer of 2018, now serves as a policy analyst in the Governor’s Office for Education and Workforce Transformation. He accredits his internship experience as the gateway that led him to his career. “My experience as an intern provided me insight not only into the operations of the Governor’s Office but into the functions of state government as well,” Gilchrist said. “Being provided the opportunity to meet with cabinet members and the agencies they led was very informative and showed the extensive range that state government covered,” said Gilchrist. “It was a great and memorable experience to get a first-hand view and understanding of the roles and policies that go into the day-to-day functions of our state.” Alisha Sing is a former intern and Georgetown University student. Singh said that incomparable work experience and network building were key takeaways from her time interning in the policy office. “Interning at Governor Ivey’s office was one of the most transformative educational opportunities I have had,” Singh said. “The internship helped deepen my knowledge about state government and Alabama policy. It also introduced me to the wide network of people who work to improve Alabama every day.” Saylor Cuzzort is a current junior at the University of Alabama. She said that her time in the Governor’s Communications Office solidified her vision for her future going forward. “There is a contagious level of professionalism, ambition, and passion within Governor Ivey’s Office that encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone, ask questions and ultimately learn from some of the state’s most dedicated professionals during my internship,” said Cuzzort. “Having this opportunity has been instrumental in solidifying my interest in state government, communication, and public service. To say it was an honor to serve Governor Ivey and her staff as an intern would be an understatement.” The deadline to apply for both summer sessions is March 15, 2023, by the close of business. 5.5 million Americans are employed by state government. Another 4 million Americans work for the federal government (not including the armed forces), and 14.2 million work for local governments. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Will Sellers: Challenging scientific orthodoxy
The world Nicholas Copernicus was born into was wrong. Indeed, 550 years ago, almost everything people thought about the world and their place in it was based on false ideas. Without necessarily meaning to, Copernicus shook his world to the core and ushered in a revolution in science. Everyone in the western world believed that the Earth was stationary and was the center of the universe. People might argue about other things, but everyone accepted the Earth’s role and believed everything revolved around it, literally and figuratively. But this universal belief was not based upon any empirical proof; rather, it was an ideology, both philosophical and theological, which misunderstood the place of human beings as the highest order of creation. Other creatures lived under the orbit of humanity and derived their status as subservient to humans. The Earth, as the home of humanity, must thus be the center of the universe around which all other stars and planets revolved. This belief was further supported by various theological scholars who selectively misquoted passages from the scriptures to support a stationary earth. So, while religious sects might argue about other issues, the Earth’s center of the universe was indisputable dogma. There was nothing to compromise. Copernicus was not a modern scientist seeking to prove a theory. Rather, he was an observer of the world around him a, and no doubt, like others, looked at the stars and planets each night. The movement of the stars and planets was a way to tell time, plot the seasons, and conjure various astrological ideas about planets and human traits. In observing the night sky, Copernicus could easily plot when various stars and planets were visible and predict their daily movements. But when his observations turned into graphically plotting how the planets moved around the Earth, it was difficult to do. With the absolute, immutable belief of the Earth’s universal center, depicting how the sun, moon, and planets move around the Earth was a mess. Any observer could see that rather than simple, consistent movement patterns, some stars and planets moved side to side and up and down. Other observations revealed any number of problems that made the motions of the planets appear arbitrary. Throw a comet or other exceptional celestial event into the mix, and the movement patterns became even less consistent. Clever scientists developed explanations for each of these anomalies, all in keeping with a stationary earth. While reasonable explanations might be accepted, trying to model the night sky created a complicated system that was anything but orderly. As additional planets were more carefully observed and added to the system, the depiction of the rotations and revolutions around the Earth became unintelligible. When Copernicus saw a 3-D model of this mass of stars and moons revolving around planets around a stationary earth, he instinctively knew something was amiss. The problem, he reasoned, was perspective. Everyone on Earth could see the movements in the night sky and plot them out, but when the observations were depicted from a stationary earth, the movements became immensely more complicated to illustrate. If someone viewed these same movements from the sun or another planet, the result might be different. Thinking outside the planet, Copernicus looked at the convoluted patterns necessary to prove a non-moving, central earth. It became apparent that if there was any order in the universe, the initial premise must be incorrect. Harking back to early astronomers who had made only rudimentary tracks of the movement of the planets, Copernicus found vague discussions of the sun being the center of the universe. Then, using his more detailed observations of the motions of the various stars and planets, Copernicus sketched out a system with the sun as the center of the universe with the Earth, like other planets, revolving around it. Once the center of the universe moved, the observations from Earth made much more sense and seemed to have greater order. He shared his thoughts primarily in academic settings and wrote summaries of his findings more as theory and conjecture than as truth. He collected several writings advocating the sun as the center of the universe, but he died before they were published. While Copernicus would never receive the derision or adulations of others who came after him, he started a new way of thinking about not only the universe but the place of humans and our perspective of ourselves in the context of our solar system. After Copernicus, belief in the structure of the solar system could have dire consequences. Recall the story of Galileo, who embraced Copernicus’s system at the cost of life imprisonment. Others were executed for believing what they saw versus an imposed orthodoxy. But gradually, the system Copernicus initiated won the day. The consensus dogma was revised when it became apparent that the Earth rotated on its axis and revolved around the sun. But until that consensus developed, many people accepted a belief system that was explicitly wrong. In this case, the science of observation and open discussion overcame challenges based on unfounded beliefs. The centrality of humanity gave way to a less exalted view of both the planet and its inhabitants. So as the 550th anniversary of the birth of Copernicus is celebrated in Poland this month, his legacy is less of a challenge to the prevailing orthodoxy and more of a lesson in practical observation of the natural world. His legacy also reveals the problems with holding an uncompromising position and being unwilling to change in the face of empirical evidence. Embracing a belief without factual support becomes unsustainable when undeniable evidence proposes a different conclusion. Such a false system requires layers of speculation of unprovable notions that disintegrate when exposed to reality. When chained to false beliefs, science merely perpetuates bogus theories. Copernicus’ legacy shows that when common sense observation is applied, reality supports science and allows advancement in our understanding of who we are and the planet we occupy. Will Sellers is a graduate of Hillsdale College and
Report: Alabama’s fine and forfeiture income is below national average
A study from the Reason Foundation found that Alabama’s income from fines and forfeitures is below the national average. The study by the think tank, which used data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, found that Alabamians paid $14.28 per capita as local governments collected $71.75 million in fines and forfeitures in 2020. Nationally, governments collected $9 billion in fines and forfeitures, with 20 states collecting $1 million or more. New York was the worst state, with $69.60 per resident, followed by Illinois ($50.57) and Texas ($40.37). Connecticut was lowest at $2 per resident, followed by Nebraska ($2.02) and Kentucky ($2.50). Alabama’s numbers were lower than all of its neighbors, with Georgia ($35.16 per capita), Mississippi ($24.93), Tennessee ($23.12), and Florida ($19.29). The Yellowhammer State’s low per capita figure still didn’t mean there weren’t small towns that used fines and forfeiture to pad their revenues. Reason researchers found that there were 176 municipalities nationwide that received 50% or more of their revenues from the practice. One of those is Creola, which is located in far northern Mobile County. In 2020, the city raked in $261,000 from fines and forfeitures, which accounted for 73.1% of its revenues. That added up to $1,249 per resident. White Hall in Lowndes County was the other Alabama town, with 50% or more of its revenue coming from fines and forfeitures. In 2020, the town collected $109,000 of its $209,000 in revenue from fines and forfeitures (52.1%). Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
Election skeptics slow to get sweeping changes in GOP states
Republicans in some heavily conservative states won their campaigns for secretary of state last year after claiming they would make sweeping changes aimed at keeping fraud out of elections. So far, their efforts to make good on their promises are mixed, in some cases because their rhetoric has bumped up against skepticism from members of their own party. Voters in politically pivotal swing states such as Arizona, Michigan, and Nevada rejected candidates seeking to oversee elections who had echoed former President Donald Trump’s false claims about the 2020 presidential election. But newly elected secretaries of state in Alabama, Indiana, and Wyoming who had questioned the legitimacy of that election won easily in those Republican-dominated states. They are now facing the task of backing up their campaign pledges in states where Republicans have already set strict election laws. In Indiana, Secretary of State Diego Morales has been relatively quiet. He has not been making the rounds at the Statehouse trying to persuade lawmakers to embrace the wide-ranging tightening of voting rules he promoted as a candidate. After defeating the incumbent secretary of state for the Republican nomination last summer, Morales dialed back his description of Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential election as a “scam” and his calls for tighter voting laws. That push included cutting Indiana’s 28-day early voting period in half and requiring new voters to prove their U.S. citizenship when registering. No bills for such steps were introduced for this year’s legislative session. Morales, who was an aide to Mike Pence when the former vice president was governor, also did not seek any money in his budget request to lawmakers for creating an “election task force,” which he had discussed as a candidate, that would investigate voting “shenanigans” around the state. A concept backed by Morales for requiring voters to include a copy of their driver’s license with a mail-in ballot application is being sponsored by a Republican lawmaker, but he said he wasn’t working with Morales on the proposal. Morales’ office has declined interview requests from The Associated Press since he took office on January 1. Kegan Prentice, the office’s legislative director, said Morales was “currently focused on the ongoing transition.” During remarks at an early January inaugural ceremony, Morales continued his campaign theme of promoting “election integrity” without giving specifics. “My priority is to make Indiana a national model for election confidence and integrity,” he said. Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston, also a Republican, said recently he had talked with Morales and told him he was “comfortable” with the state’s election laws. “I think our election laws are as good as any in the country,” Huston said. Morales was among the otherwise unsuccessful candidates associated with the America First Secretary of State Coalition, which called for large-scale changes to elections with candidates aligned with Trump’s views. The group supported losing candidates in several battleground states. They claimed widespread fraud and manipulation of voting machines, but there has been no evidence of either as exhaustive reviews in states lost by Trump have not revealed wrongdoing. That hasn’t stopped Republican candidates, particularly in contested primaries, from parroting the false claims that have taken hold among the party’s supporters. A large segment of Republicans, 58%, still believe Biden’s 2020 victory was not legitimate, according to an October poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. While Alabama’s Wes Allen and Wyoming’s Chuck Gray were not on the America First coalition’s candidate list, they also raised doubts about the 2020 vote. Allen repeated a debunked claim calling the 31-state Electronic Registration Information Center organization a “Soros-funded, leftist group,” a reference to liberal billionaire George Soros. The voter registration data-sharing partnership is designed to maintain accurate voter rolls by identifying people who have moved or died. It’s funded by states after receiving initial startup support from The Pew Charitable Trusts. Allen’s first official act was to withdraw Alabama from the group, citing privacy concerns. Indiana and Wyoming weren’t part of the organization. Even though Wyoming gave Trump his widest victory margins in 2016 and 2020, Gray’s election denials worried some of his fellow Republicans. The former state legislator and right-wing radio host often showed “2000 Mules,” a film that made unsubstantiated claims about ballot fraud, during his campaign events last year. He solidly beat a fellow Republican lawmaker who said the 2020 presidential outcome wasn’t in doubt. A few Republicans questioned whether Gray should be stripped of his election oversight role given his views, but that idea has received little support. Instead, he has received a warm welcome from Wyoming lawmakers considering several election bills that are moving ahead. One would prohibit “ballot harvesting,” or gathering others’ completed ballots for delivery, while another would implement new requirements for voting machines that would, in part, ensure they could not be connected to the internet. But so far, there is no legislation to follow through on Gray’s campaign proposals to ban ballot drop boxes or electronic voting machines, which despite mainly paper balloting in Wyoming, are available in every county to help voters with disabilities. That reflects the reality of trying to implement the most far-reaching election campaign promises in a heavily Republican state. In January, Gov. Mark Gordon made a point in his state of the state speech of saying that Wyoming counts on election integrity because of its “professional and dedicated” county clerks. But going off-script, Gordon hinted at Gray’s challenges ahead: “And I’m thrilled that our secretary of state takes that charge very seriously.” Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Steve Marshall: Kenneth Eugene Smith didn’t suffer in aborted lethal injection
Arguing against a lawsuit, Alabama’s attorney general contended that an inmate did not suffer unconstitutionally during a lethal injection that was called off last year when the execution team couldn’t establish an intravenous line despite repeated attempts. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall’s office asked a judge to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Kenneth Eugene Smith seeking to prevent the state from making a second attempt to put him to death. The attorney general argued that repeatedly being pricked with a needle does not rise to the level of cruel and unusual punishment and that Smith did not suffer unconstitutional pain and mental anguish during the attempted execution. “Allegations of pain related to difficulty achieving intravenous access do not amount to cruel and unusual punishment,” lawyers for the state wrote in the Monday court filing. Smith was scheduled to be put to death by lethal injection on November 17 for the 1988 murder-for-hire slaying of Elizabeth Dorlene Sennett. Prison officials called off Smith’s execution for the night after they were unable to establish IV access. The failed execution was the second instance that year of Alabama being unable to carry out an execution because of difficulties connecting intravenous access and its third since 2018. The problems led to Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey seeking a pause in executions to conduct a “top-to-bottom” review of the state’s capital punishment system. The Alabama Supreme Court, at Ivey’s request, abolished the previous one-day timeframe to carry out a death sentence. Instead, the governor will set a window of time for the execution to be carried out. The prison system had blamed last-minute legal filings — combined with a midnight deadline to get the execution started — as a reason for calling off Smith’s execution. Smith’s lawyers argued in the court filing that Smith was “subjected to ever-escalating levels of pain and torture” on the night of the “botched” execution. They argued prison staff strapped Smith to a death chamber gurney, despite a court order in place at the time blocking the execution from going forward, and later subjected him to numerous needle jabs, including in the neck and collarbone region. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
